June 18, 2014 | Morning Headlines.
Al Shabaab Claim Responsibility of Porokomo Attack
17 Jul – Source: Radio Dalsan – 78 words
The Military Spokesperson of al Shabaab Abdulaziiz Abu Musab said his group was behind the attack which happened at Porokomo in Mpeketoni town, Kenya on Tuesdaynight. He said they managed to kill 20 persons in that attack at Porokomo. It was justMonday night, when al Shabaab attacked Mpeketoni and killed at least 48 people. Some time in the past, al Shabaab said they have taken the war to Kenya and that they will fight Kenya up until the Kenya Government withdraws its troops from Somalia.
Key Headlines
- Al Shabaab ambush KDF convoy in Gedo region (Radio Shabelle)
- Puntland women discuss their role in politics (Radio Bar-kulan)
- Al Shabaab Claim Responsibility of Porokomo Attack (Radio Dalsan)
- Mpeketoni attack not work of al Shabaab says President Uhuru Kenyatta (Standard Media)
- Ministry of Women Affairs vows to prevent women from any form of abuse (Radio Goobjoog)
- Completing anti-piracy mission in Somalia Turkish frigate returns home (Cihan News Agency)
- 14 children die in measles outbreak in Somalia (Radio Ergo)
- AMISOM Forces train Somali troops to combat terror (KTN TV)
- Kenya violence not the work of al Shabaab militants President Kenyatta says (UPI)
- New EU and AU-IBAR Somali livestock project will support 250.000 households and exports (EU Mission in Somalia)
SOMALI MEDIA
Al Shabaab ambush KDF convoy in Gedo region
17 Jun – Source: Radio Shabelle – 84 words
According to news reports from the Gedo region, fighters from the al Qaeda affiliated al Shabaab terrorist group attacked a convoy belonging to Kenyan Defence Force troops under African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). The terrorist insurgents ambushed the convoys as the battlewagons were withdrawing from Eel-Waaq and headed for Eel-Adde when one of the vehicles was burnt by al Shabaab. Until now the precise numbers of fatalities sustained in the attack are unknown. Radio Shabelle was unable to establish contact with relevant sources in AMISOM.
Puntland women discuss their role in politics
17 Jun – Source: Radio Bar-kulan – 132 words
A two-day forum to discuss the role of women in Puntland politics has been concluded in the port city of Bosaso, the provincial capital of Bari region. The event was organized by Puntland Development Research Center (PDRC) in collaboration with Talo-Wadag Women Alliance. Saynab Ismail Mohamud, one of the women that attended the forum highlighted the need of politicians and community elders to realize and respect the role of Puntland women in political and leadership spheres. She called on Puntland Ministry of Women and the people of Puntland to empower women and give them space to demonstrate their leadership qualities. Bosaso Mayor, Hassan Abdalla Hassan also said women are well represented in Puntland’s new administration but admits there is still more work to be done.
Al Shabaab Claim Responsibility of Porokomo Attack
17 Jul – Source: Radio Dalsan – 78 words
The Military Spokesperson of al Shabaab Abdulaziiz Abu Musab said his group was behind the attack which happened at Porokomo in Mpeketoni town, Kenya on Tuesday night. He said they managed to kill 20 persons in that attack at Porokomo. It was just Monday night, when al Shabaab attacked Mpeketoni and killed at least 48 people. Some time in the past, al Shabaab said they have taken the war to Kenya and that they will fight Kenya up until the Kenya Government withdraws its troops from Somalia.
Ministry of Women Affairs vows to prevent women from any form of abuse
17 Jun – Source: Radio Goobjoog – 99 words
The Ministry of Women Affairs and Human Right of federal government of Somalia stated that it will prevent any form of abuse against women. These remarks comes after the ministry and senior AMISOM officials held meeting in Mogadishu on Tuesday. The aim of the meeting is to address the problems women face in the country including rape. According to UNHCR more than million children in conflict affected areas experience sexual violence every year. This comes a time when four days summit to end sexual violence attended by over hundred countries including Somalia , experts and survivors was concluded in London.
14 children die in measles outbreak in Somalia
17 Jun – Source: Radio Ergo – 203 words
Health officials said at least 14 children have died of measles in Middle Shabelle and Lower Juba regions in southern Somalia in the past week. Eleven of the children died in the remote village of Bulo Ahmed administrated from the regional capital of Jowhar, according to Dr Nur Omar Warsame, a medical officer at the district hospital. He said the children were all under the age of five. Dr Warsame and a medical team from Intersos, who visited the village to assess the situation, said dozens of other children had been infected by measles in the area. In Afmadow district in Lower Juba region, three children died of the disease, according to Dr Hassan Mursal, the director general of the district’s hospital.
REGIONAL MEDIA
AMISOM Forces train Somali troops to combat terror
17 Jun – Source: KTN Kenya – 02:11mins
Somalia continues to receive serious terror threats not only to the members of the public but even to the soldiers themselves. In line with this, AMISOM Forces train Somali troops so as to combat terror.
Mpeketoni attack not work of al Shabaab, says President Uhuru Kenyatta
17 Jun – Source: Standard Media – 281 words
President Uhuru Kenyatta Tuesday refuted claims that Mpeketoni attack that has left over 50 people dead was carried out by al Shabaab. The President boldly said the attack was politically instigated. “The attack in Lamu was well planned, orchestrated, and politically motivated ethnic violence against a Kenyan community, with the intention of profiling and evicting them for political reasons. This therefore, was not an al Shabaab terrorist attack,” said Uhuru.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Completing anti-piracy mission in Somalia, Turkish frigate returns home
17 Jun – Source: Cihan News Agency – 229 words
Turkish frigate TCG Gökçeada returned back to home after completing its duty against piracy in Gulf of Aden for three months and seven days. The frigate was welcomed with a ceremony at the Aksaz navy base on the Mediterranian coast. Family members of TCG Gökçeada crew experienced the enthusiasm and honor of rejoining with their loved ones after a long time. South Task Group Commander of Turkish Naval Forces, Rear Admiral Ömer Bayram Çetin made a speech as a part of the welcoming ceremony. Çetin stated that, piracy was almost eliminated in Gulf of Aden in last four years with the great contribution of Turkish navy. “In 2009, 124 piracy attacks were carried out against merchant ships and 50 ships were hijacked, in 2010, 121 attacks were carried out and 52 ships were hijacked and in 2011 the number of attacks were 123 and 23 ships were hijacked.
Kenya violence not the work of al Shabaab militants, President Kenyatta says
17 Jun – Source: UPI – 236 Words
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta claimed Tuesday recent violence in the country was not the work of al Shabaab militants from neighboring Somalia, but of domestic enemies of his government. At least 15 people were killed overnight, after 48 people were killed in assaults Sunday in Lamu County on the country’s coast. “The attack in Lamu was well planned, orchestrated and politically motivated ethnic violence against a Kenyan community. This, therefore, was not an al Shabaab terrorist attack. Evidence indicates local political networks were involved in the planning and execution of the heinous attacks. This also played into the opportunist network of other criminal gangs,” Kenyatta said in a televised address. He offered no proof of his claim and did not specify what constituted “local political networks.
New EU and AU-IBAR Somali livestock project will support 250.000 households and exports
17 Jun – Source: EU Mission in Somalia – 266 words
The European Union and the African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) launched a new project to further strengthen animal health service delivery in Somalia in a bid to promote livestock production for 250,000 Somali pastoralists and sustain export. Building on years of successful cooperation in the Somali livestock sector, the new 4 million EUR project “Reinforcing Animal Health Services in Somalia” (RAHS ) aims at enhancing the quality, access and sustainability of animal health services delivery in Somalia. This project will sustain the existing private-sector led economic growth in the livestock sector, by strengthening capacities and public-private partnerships between the Somali public Veterinary Authorities and private Livestock Professional Associations in animal health services delivery. Pastoralists and agro-pastoralists are set to benefit from improved access to animal health services and enhanced participation in the design and implementation of livestock disease surveillance and control programmes for the protection of their livestock.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“Following the attack on the village of Mpeketoni in Kenya, attributed to al Shabaab, over the weekend of June 14-15, Daryl Balfour, a former senior South African journalist, now running a safari camp in the area, commented on Facebook on media reporting of the attack. With Balfour’s permission Albany reproduces his unique perspective on what actually happened.”
Kenya: Is ‘Sensational’ Reporting Doing al Shabaab’s Work for it?
17 Jun – Source: Albany Associates Blog – 576 words
I really wish journalists and news agencies in Kenya would stop sensationalising their news reports – probably with the sole intention of grabbing the headline spots for themselves – about the al Shabaab attacks in Kenya. The latest attack on the tiny administrative village of Mpeketoni is being touted as “attacks on hotels and restaurants” in a “popular seaside resort” near Lamu Island. Of course, these reporters will aver that their reports are correct…technically they are, but they are still hideously sensational and harm the very people al Shabaab want to hurt…the poor working class Kenyans. Sky News, BBC News, CNN et al may as well simply align themselves with the Islamic militants and set up as their propaganda mouthpieces. For the record (and I will post pics as and when I can) Mpeketoni is a small administrative village or town (about 25,000 population) that as the crow flies (by road much further) is at least 16 miles from Lamu. Neither is Mpeketoni a “popular seaside resort”…it is, as I said an administrative centre and is located, in a direct line, over 6 miles from the nearest coastline. There is no road direct to this stretch of “beach” though. It does not have any tourist hotels or attractions (unless you count the nearby 5km2 Lake Kenyatta as a tourist attraction in a country that also boasts Lake Victoria and all the spectacular Rift Valley Lakes in its portfolio.)